The Fullmetal Legend
by MickeyTaco
Summary: When Al tries to sacrifice himself to help in the final battle against Father, things don't turn out *quite* like they intended, taking a turn to the Hylian side, instead. Co-authored with Willma Carter.


We're taking you back to a moment all seemed lost. Upon the battlefield of Central Command. Edward Elric is in active battle with Father, Alphonse has been injured badly, and in danger of losing his seal. Onlookers from Fort Briggs, the boys' father Hohenheim, and those stationed around the country have gathered to fight this evil, however all are powerless to do anything. Edward is pinned by rebar piercing through his upper arm. No matter how he struggles, he cannot remove it without his destroyed automail arm. From here, the chronicles have been re-written. No one, not even the protagonists themselves, could bring themselves to tell the whole truth of what happened that day.

"May, I need a favor," Alphonse turned his head to the Xing princess, "Back then Ed was willing to sacrifice his right arm in order to bring my soul back. So shouldn't the reverse be possible?"

May gasped, "Alphonse what are you saying?"

Unable to move, he continued to stare at the young girl, "All you have to do is clear a path. Can you do that?"

"But if you do this, you know what will happen-" She protested, tearing up.

"There's no time!" Al interrupted fervently, "Please May. You're the only one. It has to be you."

Meanwhile, a short distance away, Father continued to advance on the helpless Edward.

"Your stone, give it to me!" Father demanded.

"No, Edward!" Hohenheim, upheld by two Briggs soldiers, cried out.

Edward's breath came in quick, shallow pants.

Hohenheim, heard the exchange between Alphonse and May, now terrified of losing his sons. His irises contract, his mouth slackens and his breath catches. He starts working on performing alchemy. He is weakened, so he's not able to control it completely, even though he's made 'friends' with all of the souls in the stone. They agree to help him save his posterity, and help the alchemy somewhat work, but because they're only souls, they can't fix it completely, as they also do not know what the heck he's trying to do.

"I must send them somewhere." He thought frantically, "Anywhere. Just make them safe."

"Edward!" Hawkeye cries desperately.

"Fullmetal bonehead, get up!" Blind Mustang calls into his dark.

Hohenheim's closed eyes burst open, and he lets out a feral scream. In a flash, Edward, Alphonse, Riza and Roy disappear in a poof. May Chang grasps for Al's missing figure, "Alphonse, ALPHONSE!"

Edward screams, finding himself going through a gate, but though it's a gate of 'truth', he's not getting pulled apart, or shown anything. He tries bracing himself against the nonexistent walls, as if it would stop him from going in, he's fighting it every step of the way. His hand grips something, and he tries clinging to it with everything he has. He turns to look at what it is, to find a stone. Edward gasps and lets go, thinking he may use it by accident. Under his fingernails stone is scraped off in his panic, and is absorbed into his skin. A moment later he pops out of the gate, and gets landed upon by Alphonse - the real Alphonse, "Al!" Ed gasps in ecstasy, cut short by a much heavier Mustang landing on top of the pile. "OOF! Why is it always me at the bottom?" Ed complained in faux agony. A pop can be heard from Ed's back due to the weight pressing down on him. A triangle pyramid, the triforce, starts glowing on Ed's left hand, creating a glow around all three of them. Just as in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the trio is transformed into game characters. Mustang becomes imp Midna, Al becomes a grey mare, and Edward turns into a large wolf. The boys hear Hawkeye scream somewhere nearby them, but cannot see where, then she and her screams are gone.

"Why do animals always fall on me?" Edward asked himself in a strangled tone aloud. Mustang, now rolled off Alphonse's back and onto the ground, got to his knees, and tried feeling around for someone.

Alphonse hears Edward underneath him and stands up, "Sorry, Brother." Once standing, Alphonse elatedly cries, "Brother! I can feel things again!" He whinnied, stomping his front legs. "I'm not normal again yet, but I think I'm more useful now!" He reared up as if to stand like a human, but toppled over when his hindquarters couldn't support him.

Edward's face contorted comically when he sees how much taller Al is and how close he gets to being trampled.

"No way! There's no way!" He cries, merely out of the thought of 'how can I be that much shorter?'

"Al! Is that you? You're a… you're a… You're a HORSE?!"

"I'm a living thing again!" Alphonse stood proudly, taking a closer look at himself. "Blonde mane, … I'm a mare?!"

Edward snorts a laugh, "Why the long face, Al?" Alphonse turns his massive head to his brother, "You're not any better! Look at you."

Edward looked down at his hands, expecting to see his stump of a shoulder, possibly misshapen. However, the first thing he noticed was the blades of grass three or so inches from his muzzle. His eyes turned to his nose, which felt funny as well. Edward also noticed there was a dog standing over him, which he yelped to not be under another dogpile. When the dog's legs responded to him, Edward jumped slightly in alarm. The movement caused a jingling from a wrist chain and shackle attached to his right front paw. He lifted the paw to examine it keenly. "This is my arm. Al, are we…. chimeras?" He inquired, horrified. "What's going on? Where are we?!"

Mustang hears a snort of a horse nearby, followed by a yelp of a dog. Mustang rolls away, so as to not get stepped on or injured."Lieutenant? Lieutenant Hawkeye? Answer me, damn it!"

Hearing Mustang's voice, Ed and Al turned their attention to him. "What the hell kind of chimera was he made into?" Edward commented snidely.

"I don't know, but it sure looks ugly too." Alphonse replied. Edward padded over, feeling the cool ground under his paws. The smells that kicked up with the wind in his face were new, and it had a putrid stench to it Edward was not familiar with. Edward nudged Mustang trying to turn him over.

"Black Hayate?" Mustang's voice asked from out of the creature, reaching for his nose.

Edward scoffed, "You're kidding, right?" His voice growled. He looked away, huffing softly. It took him a moment to register the hands running over his body, and he yelped loudly as Mustang's hands found his haunches and below.

"Oh, you asked for it now, Colonel! What do you think this is, a petting zoo?!" Edward cried out in anger. "Nobody touches me there, blind or not!"

He clapped his paws together, trying to materialize a weapon. Nothing happened. He growled, and tried to focus on his normal body, thinking to himself that perhaps he had to 'normalize' this new form to channel the energy through his body to use his alchemy. For another long moment, nothing seemed to happen, then he heard Alphonse say, "Brother! You're growing!"

The sentence trailed off into a horse's whinny. Edward reopened the eyes he had closed in concentration, and saw his human arm back again, although it now had a long metal bracelet and a cut off chain attached to it, making it feel slightly heavy. Also, where did that sword come from?! He didn't recall having a sword earlier. And most definitely not the shield that occupied the left hand.

"Hey, Al, it worked! Well, sort of. If only it worked like this in Amestris!" Edward called to Alphonse, who tossed his head and pawed at the ground in approval.

"Fullmetal? What's going on, Where did Black Hayate and Hawkeye go, why are you so close?" Edward cocked his head to the side, looking at the tiny creature that was Mustang. "Not so in charge, are you now, Colonel?" He mocked. Edward shoved the point of his sword into the ground, and bent over to pick up the imp's body and looked Mustang straight in the face.

"I'm that wolf!" Edward asserted, jabbing his thumb in his chest. When Mustang didn't respond to his haughty upturned nose, Ed noted the faded iris shade of what used to be black was now a lighter shade of grey in the colonel's eyes, and he added, "I have a bad feeling we're not in Amestris anymore."

"What?" Mustang asked, perplexed by the reference. "Put me down this instant, Fullmetal! That's an order!"

"What are you going to do if I don't, huh?" Edward jeered.

From behind the two, Alphonse whinnied and trotted the few steps over, nudging Edward hard enough to knock Mustang out of his hands, but not hard enough to topple them over. The horse blew out his breath, ruffling Ed's hair and cap and nickered as he placed his head on Ed's shoulder. "Ow, Al! I was holding that, thank you." Ed shoved the horse's head aside in annoyance with the shield.

Edward took a deep breath, rubbed his neck where he had been tickled by his brother's breath and stooped down close to Mustang again. "I think Lt. Hawkeye is here," Ed scratched the back of his head with his free arm, getting serious, "but I'm not entirely sure. I've never heard her scream before, so it could have been May Chang... or Ling." He sardonically chuckled. "But she's not here now."

"We need to find the Lieutenant then," Mustang lifted his head up to look Edward in the eyes, skew eyed as it was, hands resting on his hips, "We need her."

Edward sighed. "You're right, Colonel. I guess our best bet is to follow this river next to us and see where it leads. A town, I'm hoping."

Mustang nodded. "Good. There's no time to waste." Mustang placed his hands in front of him and attempted to start walking forward, however the motion was both slow going and moving him closer to the man-made river bank.

Ed reached out to pluck the stubborn officer off the ground again, when he doubled over to the ground in pain. Moments later, Ed stood back up, to find himself on all fours again, the shackle returning in place of the bracelet, and the sword he had wedged upright in the ground had disappeared.

"Ed are you okay?" He heard Al ask.

"I don't understand. I was able to maintain my human form. Why did I change back?!" Ed cried out, trying to transform, panicking when he realized nothing was happening this time, aside from a pounding in his head the harder he focused on transforming. He let out a yowl of pain, finally giving up as the pain increased.

Hearing the wolf cry, Mustang stopped in his tracks, just short of the river, perplexed by the dog sounds. "Fullmetal, are you still there? Answer me!"

Ed shook his head and gave a bark, pissed off that he couldn't properly communicate with the blind colonel again.

"Brother, I've heard the Lieutenant scream before, it was definitely her." Alphonse confirmed. Sighing in accepted defeat, Edward again made his way over to Mustang, pushing his head into Mustang's body, then hoisting him over and onto his back. Mustang clung to him to keep from falling off, until he realized he was on someone's back. He attempted to get off, but Edward growled ferociously until Mustang stay still.

"It looks like there's a grate to get into the castle, brother, at the end of the river there. I hear music too coming from that direction, I think it's a town next to the castle." Alphonse commented.

Ed nodded and all set out in that direction. Mustang again attempted to dismount, but Edward turned his head and bit Mustang in the leg, and growled again. Roy's yelp satisfied Ed enough for a smirk. Obedient now, Mustang clung to Ed's fur, and lay down to ensure he did not fall off.

Their journey down the river was quick and painless, "Well, that was easy.," Ed comments to Al. "I wasn't sure if there would be a town, but here it is. We're going straight for the fuhrer here. If anyone knows what's going on, it will be them." Ed turned his head to the towers of the castle.

"I don't think I'm going to be able to swim." Al cautioned, "For all we know I still have a blood seal that could wash off. I don't think we should chance it." Ed reluctantly agrees, promising a swift return if at all possible.

Swimming with Mustang on his back under the grate, he follows the sewage pipeline into the heart of the castle, into the lower dungeon below the castle. Edward learned how to kill the rats that infested the area, and later the too-large-for-life spiders. Mustang somehow clung to him close enough he only fell off twice. Once, when Ed didn't warn him he was leaping, and the other when Ed lost his balance on a suspension rope, however Ed was able to save Mustang from falling more than two stories. They swiftly make their way up toward the more guarded rooms. "We must be getting closer, there's more guards." Ed hears Hawkeye before Mustang does and starts making his stride longer toward her voice, evading guards along the way.

From the falling and clinging, Mustang is weak, his grip loosening by the time he reaches the room he heard Hawkeye in.

"Do not forget you chose this path, dear Princess." He heard a distinctly male voice slither.

"Leave me." Hawkeye commanded.

"Lieut..." Mustang started to call, however Ed shushed him with a sharp nip on the leg. Mustang rubs his leg in protest. "Will you stop that?!" He hissed, Ed choosing that second to bite him again to silence him.

There was a gust of wind and they both heard Hawkeye sigh. Edward slipped down from the window he had perched on, cautious not to be seen. He nosed his face between the two studded doors and poked his head in, checking for signs of the one she had been conversing with, to see if he could spring upon them before they noticed. Edward saw no signs of the snake voice, nor the Lt. herself.

Ed didn't have time to react, barely seeing the orb of light that struck him, rendering him immobile with a yelp. Mustang pulled his leg from under Edward, resting on all fours, "What is wrong with you now, Fullmetal?! Respond!"

"'Fullmetal'? Is… is that you, Colonel?" The Lt. steps out from her place behind the door, eyeing Mustang from head to toe.

"Hawkeye!" Mustang's voice riddled with relief. "What is going on here?"

Hawkeye shakes her head, coming over to crouch beside the two. "I do not know too much, sir. Is.. Is this truly Edward Elric?" Hawkeye took Ed's head in her hands, and stroked his ears.

"Yes, of course it's Fullmetal! Only Fullmetal would nip the legs like a dog." Mustang paused, "Well, don't keep me in suspense. Report what you do know, Lieutenant!" Mustang orders impatiently.

"Yes, sir." Hawkeye sighed, released her magic, jolting Edward back to awareness.

"This world is meant to test us." Hawkeye warned as Ed got back to his feet, cocking his head as he stared at her. "There's a series of trials that for some reason only you are able to complete, Edward. I'll help you however I can, but Colonel-" She added gently, "Allow me to right a wrong here and now." Hawkeye placed Mustang's hand inside both of hers, and bowed her head, eyes closed as if she were about to pray.

"Lieutenant?" Mustang is confused by her grip on his hand.

"I should have gotten there sooner. Because of me, you are now blind. I am bound to stay here in this room. I cannot leave, though I have tried. I pass on the power this world has given me to you. Use it wisely. There is a sword you must attain. It is in a place called the Sacred Grove, they call it the Master Sword. You must have that sword, Edward. Go now, there will be guards returning in a moment." Hawkeye's voice faded as her entire body dissipated, "Run, until you find it."

Mustang's hand began to glow, and upon it the triforce appeared with the left triangle glowing more prominent, His eyes also began to change, his irises returned, alongside the details therewith.

Edward gasped, the sound coming out like a sharp pant. He turned to stare at the superior officer. Mustang took a moment to blink, his own breath catching in his throat as he realized he was able to see the world around him once more. His eyes rested on a larger red wolf with topaz eyes next to him and instantly knew it was Edward. Edward looked him over as if to cue him to take a look at his own form.

"What the hell?! Why am I so damn short?!" Mustang looks down, and cringes. "AM I A WOMAN?!" Ed's lip curled in what could only be described as a smirk as he barked in laughter at Mustang. The colonel gives him a death stare, and Ed sidesteps the little imp, avoiding any swiping he may attempt, his shoulders still shaking with mirth as his tail thumping softly.

"Enough laughing, Fullmetal. We've got no time to lose on levity. Who knows where the lieutenant vanished to this time. Let's get this sword for you, finish these stupid tests, and figure out a way to get home."

Edward rolls his eyes and nods moving to have Mustang walk beside him but the colonel blocked his path to the door. "As long as I'm in this form, I'm riding on your back. It would take too long with these puny legs I'm dealing with." Edward pinned his ears back and growled at him, pulling himself up to his full height to stare down at Mustang. Mustang glared back at him until Edward gave up and bent down for Mustang to climb back onto his shoulders.

Edward alighted back onto the window which Mustang did not appreciate this time around. Picking his way across roofs and protruding castle sides, Edward and Mustang were able to drop down in front of the castle gates unscathed. In front of him were some stairs that lead to what Ed could hear as a bustling castle town. Entering the town wasn't a problem, however panic ensued when people noticed the wolf and a creature on its back. Guards were ushered over, however Edward was too fast for them to catch. Out the East gate and back into an open field they ran. Edward could smell the river and followed the scent until he again met up with Alphonse, who had resorted to laying next to the river bank.

Ed took a minute and quickly brought Al up to speed. A tapping toe from Mustang reminded them that time was of the essence and they needed to find the Sacred Grove that Hawkeye had spoken of. Alphonse, now at the ready, eagerly pawed at the ground. The boys turned to Mustang, who was cross armed on Ed's back, and both of them gave him a snide grin before setting out again.

Instinctually following a map that was in his head, Edward raced southward toward what he felt was home. Along the way he stopped briefly to take down some creatures that tried to club him, Alphonse kicks a few others in the dark when they pop out of the ground… and avoid a ghost or two with scythes.

"Brother, are you getting tired? Your legs look weak." Alphonse whinnied as he shortened his own stride. Ed puffing lightly, "No," He realized with a soft bark, "I'm not. I'm not hungry either."

"That's odd. You're always hungry, brother. And sleepy."

Ed growled, "I can't choose when I get hungry! Whoa." He came to a grinding halt in front of a narrow cave. Edward looked at Alphonse and back at the cave. "We're not all going to make it in here."

Alphonse sighed with a long snort. "We stick together, brother."

Without another word, he attempted to enter the cave. Crouching, his chest barely made it into the cave before the underbelly became too much for his front legs to squeeze through. "This isn't fair Brother. We're supposed to stay together." He complained. The three backed away to hear someone nearby. Mustang attempted to speak to the bizarre, afro-clad man hanging around the entrance, however the man just offered oil and expected payment. Alphonse, upset he can't follow, stood with Afro boy and watched as Ed and Mustang entered the cave.

The cave gave way to another field covered in heavy patches of pungent, purple mist. Mustang yanked on Ed's ear to keep him from getting bitten by the plethora of flesh-eating plants hiding within the mist. They continue jumping through the trees all the way across the field. Mustang groans as they encounter a section that necessitated them to tightrope over bottomless pits. Ed rolls his eyes at Mustang's fear over falling off again, but a back paw slipping at one point sobers him right up. Finally after several grueling, nail-biting minutes for the colonel, they finished traversing that section and Ed leaped down onto solid ground in front of the closed off sacred grove.

Ed takes a step toward the grove and an absurd giggle stops him in his tracks. A strange creature appeared, its likeness reminded them of an imp… crossed with a scarecrow? Ed wasn't sure but certainly wasn't impressed. It was dressed in brown and green, topped off with a straw hat. The creature played something that might be considered a song on a flute.

Mustang barked at the creature, "Don't just stand there blocking our way! Let us through! We need to get a move on." The creature danced a little in place and pulled the flute away, giggling like a child again. "Let's play a game!" The tone it had was high and playful.

Edward decides he's had about enough of the odd music and this creature blocking their way. Nudging Mustang off his back, he goes straight over to the creature and grabs it by the torso, gnawing and shaking it like a toy. Hey, this is kinda fun! Ed growled softly and shook the creature more, even as it kicked and struggled against his grip. More fun than I thought it might be to mess with the colonel right now.

"Ahhh! Alright, alright! No games! I'll get you to the temple! Just put me down!" The creature squealed and whined, no longer as amused as it had been when they had first showed up in front of it. Edward gnawed a little harder, then reluctantly dropped it unceremoniously back onto the ground when Mustang gave him a look. "Blech." Ed's mouth wretched a little at the distasteful flavor. Shaking itself off, the creature leapt to its feet and moved back toward the hedges, a clear pathway appearing. "Follow this and it'll take you straight to the temple." It shuddered, gave a yelp, and dashed away when Edward took a step in its direction, toward the the entrance. Mustang chuckled softly, shaking his head. "That's one way to get around a game. C'mon Fullmetal. The grove awaits."

Following some old old ruins, Ed and Mustang entered what appeared to be an old citadel. There was no ceiling and the walls crumbled to just over two people's height. In front of them were two moss-encrusted sentinels, with the triforce symbol on the ground. No other entrances or exits could be found. "I wonder if this is it." Mustang commented looking at the symbol.

"I doubt it. For something as powerful as a 'master' sword, I'm sure there's something more." Ed thought.

A melody that had been ringing in Edward's ears since they had padded into the large former room started to irritate him. He sat down for a moment, listening to the tune. Mustang tried to spur him up, but Edward ignored his tiny feet on his shoulder. Once he was sure he had the tune right, Edward howled the notes he heard, hoping to make it stop. For a split second nothing happened. However the next second everything went dark except the space where Edward stood on top of the Triforce and the two sentinels. From those three points other places of ground appeared, close enough to jump to, but not close enough to walk.

"We will never speak of this again." Ed enunciated. Though Mustang could not understand what was said, He understood the tone.

The sentinels sadistically jumped from block of ground to another, the ground shaking profusely and told them to put them back where they were to gain entrance to the true sacred grove.

"See? Told you." Satisfied Edward started jumping to another pad of land. Mustang tried to stop him, but Edward had already moved.

"You move and so do they!" Mustang pointed. Mustang stalled for a minute looking at the platform he had in front of him. "You moved right, so… go down. Here." Mustang pointed. Edward jumped and saw Mustang calculating in his head. He smiled to himself. "Left!" Mustang continued to point and spur Edward in the direction he wanted to go until the sentinels were once again where they began.

The sentinels stomped the weapons in their stony hands, and a door opened in the wall.

"Now go to the sacred place." Before more could be said, Edward shot off to the new section of ruins.

Entering, Mustang and Edward noticed a change in both the ambience and the lighting.

Old and powerful, there was a light mist on the ground and it was as if the sun had been clouded over, however there was barely trees covering and clear skies.

"Oh look, a sword in the stone." Mustang's dry humor fell on deaf ears as Edward cantered to the blue-hilted blade.

Before Edward could get within paw's length, a gust of wind threatened to topple the duo over, sending them flying backwards. The gust seemed to emanate from the sword itself. Edward hunkered his head down stubbornly to stay upright.

With a flash of light the wind stopped, and an oddly jagged shape composed of black and orange sharp edges materialized in Mustang's hand. Mustang examined it a moment, before looking to Edward for an explanation. Edward, now in human form, was staring at the sword, hands wrapping on the hilt. He gave it a tug, and then a pull. The sword gave a little, and Edward had to work to get the rest of the tip out of the stone sheath. Once he did though Mustang noted both the shadows and the fog lifted and the sword glowed for a moment.

"We've got it, let's get out of here." Mustang called impatiently.

"Right." Ed replied, sheathing the sword and coming back to stand by the colonel.

Mustang stares up at Edward's face until he looks back at him. Mustang lifts his arms in a "pick me up" fashion. Ed smirked as he reached down to pluck the imp off the floor, squeezing his torso so tight, he heard a squeak eek out of him. Edward plopped him onto his shoulder, ensuring he had a grip before releasing him. Mustang scowled and touched his head with the shard that had materialized into his hand seconds before, and Edward changed back into wolf form. Like a cartoon, Mustang stayed mid-air a moment, and then falls onto Ed's back, the weapons disappearing again. Mustang moved the shard away from Edward and the blonde alchemist returned to his human state. "Alchemy." Mustang gasped, staring at the curious shard.

Electing to keep Ed in wolf form for the sake of speed, Mustang touched Edward again with the shard, which pissed Edward off, but once Mustang explained, Ed thought about it, remembering the Skull kid ragdoll, he agreed. Thus, making their way back to Al in less time than finding the sacred grove. The trio stood there for a long moment, Edward bringing his brother back up to speed on all that had transpired.

"Well, Fullmetal, how do you know where to go from here?" Ed pauses then sniffs purposefully, and turns toward the east. "Ah, it would be easy to sniff the ground from there." Mustang quips. Ed pins his ears back and growls, but sets off at a quick pace, forcing the colonel to grab on tightly lest he be dislodged. Edward groaned audibly when he didn't fall off.

Edward stops abruptly in his tracks as they got to the edge of Lake Hylia, and looks at Alphonse. "The trial is in the middle of the lake. I can see the temple from here. Let's go kick some ass!" Al shakes his head vehemently. "I can't be sure that the seal wouldn't wash off in the water, remember? I hate to say it, but I better stay here, brother. Besides, I still haven't learned how to swim." Ed opens his mouth to argue but thinks better of it. "We'll be right back then! It's water. It can't be that difficult!"

Alphonse watched his brother and the colonel disappear into the temple, disappointed at his inability to be of much use during the trials to date. His mind wandered to home the longer they were gone. "If we go back, we're going to be in the same place we were in in the first place. How are we going to win against that homunculus, 'Father'? Dad would have sacrificed it all for nothing. I hope he's ok." Al curled his hooves under him and lay down.

It was nightfall by the time the pair returned, both exhausted and cursing at the water temple trial. Edward looked back at the temple and shook the sword at it in disgust, "It cost us an entire day because of those freakish puzzles! I hate these stupid things." He moaned, dropping to lean heavily against Alphonse. "Not to mention 'Colonel Useless' living up to his name. You wanted me to throw out that key I got! That would have taken forever to get through all those doors if we had to have a different key for each of them! Moron." Ed scowled at him.

Mustang growled in response to the insult. "Watch it, fleabag. I've got a feeling we've got more of these puzzles before we're able to go back. And last I checked, you need my help to complete them."

"I don't need your help right now Colonel Sarcasm." Edward spat.

From behind both Edward and Mustang a dark figure appeared, with a hollow scream. Thinking it to be a horse noise, they both looked to Alphonse. "It wasn't me-" He protested, shaking his long head.

"Turn around," Alphonse let out a terrified whinny, his eyes fixed on something beyond in the dark. He reared back when neither of them responded, forcing Edward to spin clockwise to the ground.

Behind him stood a creature, taller than Al, in black robes and glowing green vein-like threads coming out from an apron that draped over the median of its body. Its head looked metal, like a helmet to resemble a snake's. Mustang, who had been sitting on his shoulder, toppled over with Edward, causing the shard to brush the blonde alchemist again.

"My very presence causes you to shrink before me." A snake-like voice hissed. Edward recognizes this voice as the same one that he had heard conversing with the Lieutenant Hawkeye back in the castle. He pinned his ears back and growled low in his throat. "Anger, that's good." The creature cooed menacingly.

Mustang stood up to stare upwards at Zant with a cold expression, leaving the shard on Edward's under chest."Who the hell are you, and what do you want?!" His gravelly male voice demanded.

Zant looked left then right, his gaze finally landing on the tiny creature whose voice obviously didn't match his appearance. His expression changed to a sneer. "Ah, Midna. These feeble attempts of yours aren't going to amount to anything. And yet here we are again."

It was Mustang's turn to be confused, however he ignored the name, "The only feeble thing I see here, is you," He shot back. Edward snorted in agreement. Zant chooses to ignore both reactions, and turns to Alphonse.

"You are useless to me," Zant intoned, forming a pulsing red orb in his hands, and taking a step toward Al, raising the orb to strike him.

Hearing the malicious intent in Zant's voice, with an angry growl, Ed jumped at the snake creature with his teeth bared, prepared to rip him to shreds.

To avoid getting struck, Zant lobbed the orb at Edward instead, intending a second volley for Alphonse. Edward fell back onto the ground, stunned. Mustang looks over at Ed and shakes his head.

"Brother!" Alphonse cried. He dared not come any closer for fear of catching the evil snake's attention again.

"My, my. Where are your manners?! Your mother should have taught you better. Oh, wait- she can't." Zant's voice dripped with disdain.

"My sword's going to drip with something real soon, pal!" Edward cried, struggling back to his feet.

"This has been fun, but alas, I have a realm to rule." Zant feigned a bow and vanished.

Angry Edward let out a feral howl, tearing off toward the open field, scooping up Mustang on his way. Alphonse struggled to keep up with the rigorous pace that his brother was setting.

Mustang's reserves of patience ran dry, running in the direction that seemed to be getting them nowhere. "Where are we going, Fullmetal?" Edward ignored the inquiry. He stumbled a time or two, still affected by the blow from the pen, but continues to get up at full run. Mustang can feel his body trembling in pain. He silently curses Zant, and loses his temper, causing him to unwittingly activate an ability he didn't know was his to warp back to where they first entered the world of Hyrule.

Ed realized when he got his wits about him again, he can now smell Zant and the essence of the Twilight Realm, "I smell that slimy bastard!" And he takes off at a canter with Mustang on his back. Al is left watching him go, and tries to follow until Edward reaches to his underarm and takes the shard off his body into his mouth leaping into the air, and tosses it up. Mustang catches it, and Ed lands on the outer castle wall as a human, and without pause starts climbing, the colonel still clinging to his back.

"THAT'S NO FAIR BROTHER!" His brother called from below. In protest, he stomped his hooves.

Edward continued to scale the walls until he touched the top, traversing over the roofs toward what he thought was the smell of the usurper king. When he could see what the smell was, it turned out to be someone's dinner cooking over a fire.

"Way to use your senses, Wolfie!" Mustang insults him, climbing to his shoulder and flicking one of the wolf-ears with his fingertips.

"Hey!" Edward yelped. He paused a moment to feel his ears, realizing they protruded out more than he was expecting. In the moment he realized they were also furry, he caught scent of the metal-headed freak, and took off again.

Skipping over more rooftops, Edward and Mustang saw a light shining coming from the middle of the plaza of castle town. "That has to be where the smell is coming from." Mustang commented. Without warning Mustang slapped Edward's hairline with the orange and black shard, forcing him to shift into wolf form before they dropped into the town square.

With a light growl, Edward was able to clear the plaza of the late night wanderers, leaving them alone in the center of the square.

How is it no one else is noticing the rings of light? Edward thought. He jumps into the fountain in the center of the square where a mirror reflected moonlight shone and lifts up on his hind legs and started climbing on top of it. Mustang climbed onto the fountain and attempts to pull him up. Edward's weight was more than Mustang expects however, and he falls through the portal with an unmanly shriek, leaving Ed to follow.

The twilight realm was much different than they supposed. It seemed the entire world consisted of one giant palace. Edward smelled the same pungent stench he first encountered when arriving in Hyrule everywhere.

Edward picked right wing of the castle to start his search. He gives Mustang a look when they encounter a door that Mustang can't reach and Ed can't open because of his lack of thumbs. Mustang sighs and removes the shard, allowing Ed back into his human form.

"This is quite annoying, but keep that handy just in case." Edward warned.

"I liked you better when you were Toto." Mustang teased. "Is it just me or does it sound like we are speaking inside a little box, despite being outdoors?" *Fourth wall break to look at reader…*

"Shut up." Ed pushed on the door with his hands, sliding it up. "Let's go. We have a slimy snake bastard to kill!"

With no visible easy way up to the throne room, Edward stares at the walls. but since Ed is a small person, he can get his feet into the grooves of the wall despite there being no true footholds. "See? It's a good thing I'm small….GAHHH, NOT AGAIN! I called myself a microscopic pipsqueak!"

"I thought you smelled of shrimp, Fullmetal." Mustang grimaced from his shoulder.

"You smell of disappointment. I'm taller than you now too, gimpy!" Ed retorted.

Reaching the top of the wall, Ed was now winded from the exertion. Mustang's insult though gave him the burst of energy he needed to continue to a large door what seemed like a football field away. Halfway across however, twelve to fifteen black creatures with tentacles coming out underneath their heads dropped from the ceiling and tried to attack the pair.

Edward scoffed and deftly evaded each of their lumbering attempted swipes, and easily made his way across the room. "My brother's more nimble than you," Ed stuck out his tongue, "and he's all metal!"

Mustang snorts at the remark."Nice one, 'fullmetal'."

"Shut up, or I'll leave you to face those," Ed jabbed his thumb at the beasts now behind him, looking at the imp on his shoulder "on those puny legs of yours."

Mustang admitted defeat, silently shrugging.

Looming before them was a massive door with a lock larger than three times the size of the imp. Edward took the Master Sword, and jammed it into the locking mechanism.

"What are you doing? That is an important tool you're using, you know." Mustang scolded him.

"You got any better ideas? How about buying me some time and take those things on coming at us. Or maybe, we can shove that head of yours into it instead!" Ed quipped.

The lock accepted the sword as a key and it began unlocking on its own, dropping on the ground, nearly stomping on Ed's feet until he jumped back. Edward slid the door open and closed it back just as the creatures reached out for him once again. With a sigh of relief Ed rested his head against the door.

"You must have gotten bored if you had to come and see me again so soon, Link." A voice behind him hissed.

The hairs on Edward's back bristled, all traces of exertion now gone. He spun around and stomped toward the sound of that grating, slithering voice once more.

Edward's hatred hit a new high as he hit one knee, still feeling the affects of the blast he had shielded his brother from.

"I intend to make the light and the twilight realms one! All will bow to ME! If you want to stop me, you're going to have to kill me." Zant declared boldly.

"Ok." Mustang replied, seeing Edward's weakness and manages to pluck the Master Sword from him. Using it as a two handed sword, he took a moment to center himself, taking a deep breath. His irises contracted in a cool, calculated calm only seasoned warriors can master. Mustang's body began rising from the ground. "You have caused my Lieutenant pain and hardship beyond compare. You have tried to sever the bond of two brothers who've been through hell and back. You dare to attempt to take one of them from before my very eyes. For that, YOU MUST PAY!"

With those words, he delivers a single blow to Zant's chest, causing him to shriek in pain and terror. The light infused in the sword that seals darkness dissolves the blackness of his heart, and he crumpled, dead before he hit the floor.

"This is a great weapon. I could get used to a sword like this." Mustang weighted the sword in his hands, still several inches above the floor. "So, you're Link, huh?" He asked, holding the sword out to Edward.

"You killed him." He looked at Mustang incredulously.

"You really are the weakest Link if you can't take a life when it's necessary." Mustang dropped the sword at Edward's feet with a clatter. "You have no business having a sword otherwise." Edward dropped his head, chagrined.

A deep guttural chuckle echoed ominously. "Well done. Your hatred is most… refreshing. I commend you, Midna. I did not believe you would murder one of your own subjects. Perhaps you do have a place in the new world I'm creating ... No, your hatred wanes even now."

"Green clad 'Hero'. Your thirst for power is," they heard an inhale, "invigorating. Come to me, I will make you more powerful than you could ever imagine. Courage only gets you so far, you will need power to achieve the vindication you seek. Once your triforce of Courage is one with my triforce of Power, there can be nothing left. Not even Wisdom can stand in the way. The princess and I will be awaiting your added strength."

"That would be Lt. Hawkeye, get moving, Fullmetal." Mustang held his head high, eyes still steely dead cold as he headed to the door.

Edward waited until they were near the mirror of twilight to break his pensive silence. "Get on my back, let's go. Unless you want to float all day." Edward hunched his shoulders down like he were preparing to be turned into a wolf again.

Mustang was visibly taken aback, his eyes flying down to the floor…. only to find he was still hovering above the floor. "That's unusual…. Well, this certainly would've been convenient earlier in the day!" He growled. "This must be result of whatever the Lieutenant transferred to me earlier. It will likely prove to be quite useful in our endeavor to free her and return to Amestris."

Ed nods in agreement and steps back through the mirror of Twilight following the Colonel. He was relieved that his superior chose to allow him to stay in human form as they arrive back in Hyrule to find that it's the middle of the day. The townspeople were all abuzz, whispering about some mare that wandered into town.

"That's right! Alphonse." Edward remembered. Edward approached the maiden that was mentioning the mare, "Excuse me, miss, where might I find this mare? She seemed to have wandered off my property." He fibbed.

"I saw it at Jovani's house over yonder, surrounded by cats." She pointed in the direction of west town.

Edward looked at Mustang, "Should we update him, or just leave him with the cats?"

"Leave him be. It'll keep him out of trouble while we face this lily-livered S.O.B. who's taken the Lieutenant." Mustang groused, eager to be on to rescuing his Lieutenant.

Edward raised an eyebrow, and let it stand as the last word.

"I spotted what would be a throne room while we were over the skyline. Let's go." Mustang says impatiently. A thought occurred to Mustang and an inquisitive, pursed-lip expression crosses his face. His eyes studied his hand briefly, and outstretched the palm to Edward, and closed his eyes a moment. When he opened them, both he and Edward were outside the tallest tower of the castle, lightning striking around them among the clouds, the clouds themself reflecting an ominous red hue.

"How'd you do that?" Ed raises an eyebrow at the colonel.

"Don't know, but thought if I can float might as well try to see what else I can do." Mustang replied honestly. "No time to lose! Forward." He commanded.

The two climbed a flight and a half of stairs to a large ballroom-type throne room, pillars on both sides, while leaving the middle open. On the far side of the room they saw a decapitated head coming out of the same strange Triforce symbol that showed up in nearly every place they'd been. Edward stopped in his tracks when he saw a figure in between the triangles. His entire being filled with unrestrained rage as he thought he saw the face of his beloved mechanic Winry hanging helplessly. As Mustang and Edward approached closer, Edward saw that it was not in fact Winry, but the missing Lieutenant Hawkeye.

Edward attempted to rush to her, however, Mustang stopped him from even starting, stretching out his arm to block his path, fixated on the throne directly in front of them.

Edward lowers his gaze to the throne, eyes landing on the massive, green-skinned man heavily clad in armor seated on the throne. Fiery red hair in what looked like curlers flowed to his shoulders.

"Oh great. We have another green freak." Edward complained, "I thought I defeated Envy already. How many damn hippopotamic land mass homunculi are there?!" Ed mutters under his breath. "At least it looks like a dude this time."

"With the Triforce of Wisdom neutralized, it shall be easy to extract it from her cold, dead body." Ganondorf smirked evilly, pushing himself to his feet and stepping toward Hawkeye, the ground shaking with his heavy footfalls.

Mustang cried, "You bastard!" And rushed at Ganondorf, feigning a direct attack, and at the last moment shot into the air, placing himself between the evil king and his Lieutenant. He attempted to wake her up with a gentle caress of the cheek, however she is like a lifeless doll. Ganondorf's thunderous laugh turned him around, spreading his arms out to act as a body shield.

With a hmph, and no more effort than to flick a flea, Ganondorf twisted his wrist and flung the imp into the wall next to Hawkeye. Mustang fell to the ground in a lump and did not stir.

Ganondorf turns to Edward with a sly grin before dismantling himself into black confetti-like squares, and assimilating into Hawkeye. Her body reacted to the possession by convulsing strongly. Edward rushed as close as he could from the ground, however as soon as the Lieutenant Princess opened her eyes, which were now glowing a creepy shade of yellow; Edward was flung backwards across the ballroom as she drew her sword, dark jagged lines appearing on her face and neck.

Ed stumbles to his feet, drawing the Master Sword and engages in combat with the possessed princess. Ed finds after several turns around the room that his movements and reactions with the sword came much faster and smoother than he remembered, the muscle memory from Link's body aiding him in the fight against the demon king. After another volley of attacks, Edward's attention was drawn ever so briefly to something stirring in his peripherals, though he refused to take his eyes off his opponent.

Mustang rose to his feet, the whites of his eyes now a shade of yellow instead of off-white. A grimace firmly on his face, he swiveled his body around to face Hawkeye, and suddenly his hair was transformed into a gigantic hand and grabbed Hawkeye's torso, and began to squeeze her so tightly Edward thought in horror that he might kill her. However, instead, the black confetti began pouring out of the body, and regrouped into a cohesive form of the massive green giant on the opposite end of the ballroom.

"Maybe it really is Envy…" Ed gaped at the figure.

Like fairy dust, glowing yellow light trickled out of Mustang, and flowed into Hawkeye. As the light fades, Mustang turns to look at Ed and Hawkeye momentarily. He extended his hand to them as he had done shortly before, and with a flash, Edward and the Lieutenant find themselves standing out on the grassy meadows of Hyrule field facing the castle, the clouds still thick and lightning flashing in the sky.

A whinny from behind Ed had him whirling around to find Alphonse galloping up and skidding to a stop in front of him and Hawkeye, a both surprised and worried expression on the mare's face.

"Where'd the cats go? Wait, where have you been?" The intonation was unmistakable, despite the sounds they heard belonging to a horse and not a human. "Lieutenant!" Al cried with relief and attempted to nuzzle her with his head into her abdomen.

"Alphonse? So you're here too." Hawkeye visibly relaxed slightly with a tiny smile and a rub of the mare's head. In that moment, the earth beneath them shook, and with a puff of debris, dust erupted in the place where the castle had stood moments ago.

A mere couple of shock-filled seconds later, a silhouetted figure on a horse appears on the crest of the field. As the dust settled at its feet, Ganondorf's unforgettable form at the ridge, clutching an all-too familiar helmet in his hand. The helmet worn by the imp Mustang. He raises it above his head, and crushed the helmet in his fist, allowing the crumbled pieces to fall to the ground.

Hawkeye gasped, her eyes widening. Edward drew his sword, more reluctantly, and positioned himself in a defensive stance. "Brother, get on my back." Alphonse demanded, crouching down to lay on the ground. He jerked his large head to his back and whinnied again.

Hawkeye grabbed the collar of Edward's tunic and threw him onto Alphonse, jumping on behind him as Alphonse stood back up, sliding her hand to his and lifted his sword from his hand. Al took that second to rush at the evil demon king, seeming unafraid.

Approaching where Ganondorf was seated on his horse, chuckling evilly, Hawkeye loses all restraint she had shown up to this moment. Leaning forward once more, she yanks the bow and quiver Ed had equipped to his back, and tugs Alphonse's mane harshly, forcing him to stop in his tracks.

Once he came to a complete stop, Hawkeye took aim and fired her first arrow, striking a pointed blow in the heart of Ganondorf's horse. It fell dead, causing him to fall heavily to the ground.

"Stay here." She commanded the brothers, dismounting and charging the last few yards, nocking a second arrow and drawing the bow she had stolen from Ed's back with the quiver swinging behind her.

Seeing his bow strung on her, Edward felt his satchel to find several other things missing including several bombs, and both clawshots he had in his possessions. Sensing what she was aiming to do, Ed gulped and gestured to Alphonse. "Avert your eyes, Al. You're not gonna want to see what she does to him. He just killed the colonel, and she's going to make sure he pays. This is her justice." Alphonse shook slightly, and quickly turned them away.

Only Hawkeye's infuriated battle cries were heard for what felt like an hour. Aside from the rumbling of bombs going off, and the clinking of metal from the clawshots, all the Elrics could hear was the distant thunder that echoed occasionally. When all was silent for several long minutes, Ed risked a peek at where the lieutenant had been fighting.

He gave an audible gasp as he took in the sight of Hawkeye standing over a horizontal, absolutely dead Ganondorf. Her shoulders pulsated as she hyperventilated from the effort. Dirt and scorch marks garnered her gloves, evidence of the struggle. Arrows are sticking out of Ganondorf's corpse, as well as the Master Sword sliced clear through him.

Ed turned his head back with a nauseated gag, just to miss Hawkeye collapse, her hands going to her face as she began to sob.

From over the ridge, four lights appeared, with wistful creature-like shapes. In a short distance, a piece of what looked to be rubble rose from the ground, its shape tall and pointy at the top. The lights around it turned to allow all three of them to see it's coloring was a light blue on the left side, and black on the right. As the light grew brighter, they could now see the figure was that of a woman, rather than rubble. Alphonse recognized the being and ran full gallop for it.

Once close enough to see details of the creature, Edward gasped. "Colonel Mustang!" He exclaimed. His voice colored with joy for once regarding his commanding officer.

Hearing Edward, Riza lifted her head, and gazed toward them before she hiked up her skirt and ran to join the boys. Standing taller than Alphonse, Mustang stood with a seemingly new body, however oddly similar to the imp form they were so used to seeing.

"Your companion is still with us," A woman's voice advised, "however has taken a viewer's point for the time being. I am Midna. I have seen your travails. I am afraid though, it is time for you to return to your own realm. There is no place for you here."

With a flash of light and a wave of her hand, she brings the group to stand in the town square again by the mirror of twilight. Ignoring the gasps and whispers of the crowd that had gathered around the ruins of the castle, Midna steps to the mirror and adjusts the coordinates to the realm of Amestris. "Once you are returned, I shall be severing the connection between our worlds. I thank you for your assistance. I am forever in your debt." Midna gave a slight bow of respect to the foursome and stepped aside to allow Riza to step forward to the mirror first because she was the princess. She instructed them to place their hand over the mirror, and it would allow them to return to their own bodies.

Showing the example, Midna stood next to Hawkeye and followed to be the next to send an Amestrian home. She gestured for Edward next. Hesitating for a moment, almost insisting that his brother go first, Alphonse nudged him forward encouraging him to go through. Once satisfied that Ed was safely through the portal, Al placed his head up to the mirror.

Before the original owners returned to consciousness, Midna removed their arms from the portal, adjusted the mirror to her home world and climbed on top of the fountain. She placed her hands out on each side of her, cracking the mirror before disappearing entirely. Once she was gone, the mirror shattered into a thousand tiny pieces, and the light that shone disappeared.

Alphonse reached his portal of truth last. Remembering his inner monologue waiting for his brother to return from the water temple, Alphonse decided to stay with his body, in exchange to give Edward his arm back. "I will wait, Brother. For as long as it takes."

Edward returned to his body, his arm pinned by rebar, and his automail arm once again obliterated to nothing. "Oh no." In a moment's time, Edward saw the crackles of alchemy being performed, and his right arm returned to his body, scar and all. "Alphonse, you IDIOT!" He proclaimed before ripping the rebar out of his arm.

And that was the whole truth.

At that same moment, in Hyrule:

The sound of shattering glass returned Link, Zelda, and Epona to consciousness in their own bodies. Turning in a slow circle to witness the castle and surrounding grounds in ruins, a broken mirror, and a throng of whispering townspeople around them, Zelda addresses Link, a look of pure shock on her face.

"What. Just. Happened?!"

THE END.


End file.
